EMBRACE project aims to address mental health issues among vulnerable children in deprived villages and small towns from Northeast Romania through a model of school-based interventions that will be piloted in 10 schools covering over 4500 children from primary to high-school level.

The implementation of the model will conduct to the development of a prevention toolkit for children addressing the key health determinants of mental health aimed for educating and supporting children, that will be disseminated at country level.

The project will provide systematic approach that will engage primarily children, train teachers and professional to strengthen the supportive networks, facilitate parental engagement and coordinate with local and national services and institutions. Schools will receive tailored assistance for preventing mental health issues and promoting the wellbeing of children for creating a supportive and nurturing learning environment. One of the pillars of the project will be child participation in the elaboration of the toolkit, decision making at school level, peer to peer education. Children will become also advocates at community level to promote and make awareness on child mental health. The EU strategy for children rights will be strengthen and promoted in
different contexts of the project .

The project aims to cultivate and leverage local expertise through a consortium of experienced partners –FundatiaServiciilorSociale Bethany,Fundatia deSprijin Comunitar, Asociatia “Buna Ziua Copii din Romania” – three grassroots organizations specialized in child protection, social and educational services, Federatia Organizatiilor pentru Copil – one federation specialized in advocacy and child rights and a Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting – the transnational partner with a great expertise in innovative communication, all supported by the local authorities, schools, specialists in social, educational field from the local, regional and national level.

Co-Funded by the EU: 101190161 — EMBRACE — CERV-2024-CHILD

Official website...

Consortium Members

Fundatia Serviciilor Sociale Bethany (Bethany)

Bethany is a non-profit organization that supports vulnerable children and their families by providing social services and educational programs. The organization has 30 years of experience in Romania, with operations in two regions: West and Northeast, including Iasi County one of the regions where the project will be implemented. Bethany provides therapy programs for children with special needs, psychological and social counselling services for families, school guidance and scholarships for students from rural areas, educational centres for children at risk of school abandonment, capacity building programs for local CSOs and volunteering capacity building programs as means of community involvement. At national level, Bethany is part of coalitions and federations advocating for improved legislation benefiting children and their rights. Bethany is accredited and licensed.

website: www.bethany.ro

Fundatia de Sprijin Comunitar (FSC)

FSC is a non-profit Romanian organisation registered in 1997 in Bacau (one of the project areas), NE Romania. FSC’s vision is to create a world where human rights are respected, and people have access to adequate, high-quality services provided by professionals in their own community. By the government decision FSC holds the public utility status since 2005. With a team of 150 employees and 250 volunteers FSC serves over 5,000 people annually by providing medical, social, and educational services. The services cater to various demographics, including older people affected mobility issues, illness, loneliness, as well as children, and families affected by social depravation, poverty and neglect., FSC also coordinates a centre for volunteerism that engages over 250 young people each year and provides accredited training to adults on topics such as home care for older people, combined arts work and project management., All services provided by FSC are licensed and comply with existing legislation. FSC holds the , guaranteeing the quality of services and level of development. FSC has extensive experience in incorporating into its care and therapeutic activities, recognizing their positive impact on well-being.FSC specialists designed the standards for the occupation and the training curricula for the field of combined arts work, which have been integrated into the national classification of jobs as . Over the years, FSC has trained over 2,500 (professionals working in care services: carers, psychologists, teachers, social

website: fsc.ro

Asociatia Buna Ziua Copii din Romania (BZRO)

BZRO is a non- profit organization specializing in child rights protection. Their mission is to support children, young people and the families to lead a dignified, well-being lives. BZRO aims to create to the best conditions for children’s harmonious development by providing support, and counselling for parents to enhance to their parenting skills. They also involve community members in volunteer actions and work to improve and diversify methodologies in the field of social assistance for families and children. BZRO has 25 years of experience in providing social services for children in vulnerable situations, as well as supporting their families. These services include prevention services to prevent the separation of children from their families, school dropout prevention services, and therapeutic services for children with autism, as well as parents’ school. In recent years, BZRO is increasingly receiving more and more requests from families or teachers and medical staff for psychological evaluation and counselling of children and young people, and from the experience of working with children in our programs, it was noticed an increase in the number of children with disruptive behaviours, emotionally fragile, children who fail to control themselves and become verbally or even physically aggressive with other children, and others are isolated and fail to communicate effectively with the group. BZRO actives in Vaslui county, one of the project areas.

Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting SL (EAC)

EAC is an innovation research and science communication company. EAC explores and assesses innovation strategies, resources, and technologies to empower future game changers. With innovation research, they study and analyse knowledge that can inspire innovators and entrepreneurs to innovate and succeed. With science communication, they take encouraging insights from scientific and technology research and share the knowledge in everyone’s words. Horizon Europe collaboration allows them to get involved directly in R&D projects supporting the researchers with technology and resources.

website: https://ea.consulting/